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February 2003
Police, Street, Underworld The Gambino’s troubles continue, as more and more of there members are killed off by an as yet unidentified assailant. Despite last months speculation that many of the killings were part of an internal clean up campaign, the continuing level of violence being meted out to the family goes against such thinking. Add to this a disastrous attempted incursion from the north of the city (which incidentally saw over thirty Castelan officers injured) and things aren’t looking good for them. The Sandernacht Group have yet to capitalise on the actions, although given the time usually involved in all of their actions this isn’t unusual. Meanwhile, Castelan continue to maintain the steel perimeter to the north of the city, preventing all illegal movements by the group into the more populated areas of the city. Media, Police, Underworld Information continues to surface regarding the attacks being carried on the Gambino Family. In addition to the attacks being carried out by dogs, a number of more conventional firearms related attacks have also occurred. All killings have been conducted at close range, although Castelan have yet to find any incriminating evidence. Whether this is part of a new policy with regards to the family remains to be seen, although little investigation has been made into the matter. Current estimates show that the Gambino’s are now down to less than half of their numbers compared to this time last year, placing them quite a distance down the emerging pecking order in the city’s underworld. Media, Police, Politics, Underworld Still little is known about who (or what) is attacking the Gambino’s. Early speculation had it that the attacks were surely the work of Sandernacht, but this was quickly disproved when it emerged that the group was engaged in its own turf war in the south of the city. Then investigations focussed on the emerging Haitian / Egyptian group that seemed to be operating out of the Bradwell / Wolstanton area, but things seem to have quietened down in those quarters as well following Castelan’s action against the G8 Suppress group. Independent investigations by local media groups are now focussing on whether Castelan are operating a “Shoot to Kill” policy against Gambino members, although unsurprisingly the group are keen to discount such theories. Still, Castelan’s lack of investigative action is unusual given the high profile nature of the attacks and the criticism from local political parties. Street, Underworld Whilst the Gambino’s continue to draw fire from all quarters of the city, the other major players in the cities underworld seem to have been unaffected by the troubles. Indeed, unofficial representatives of both the Sandernacht and newly emerged “Daughters of the Desert” have stated that they have been using the time to consolidate their standing, especially in light of the increased number of addicts in the area. Whether the removal of the Gambino’s will lead to an era of relative civility remains to be seen, although much of the gang related violence in the city was as a result of the Gambino’s attempting to gain control of turf. Whatever the outcome, it’s likely that this month will be make or break for the family in the city. Media, Occult, Street So the third gang thought to be operating in the city finally has a name. Still little is known regarding the “Daughters of the Desert”, although it has been confirmed by unnamed sources that the gang is predominantly Haitian and Egyptian in ethnic make-up. Unusually, the gang’s major players also appear to be female, although this is getting more and more common these days. Investigations are now focussing upon the identity of the gang’s leader, supposedly called Shara, and her whereabouts in the city. Castelan are keen to find her in order to prevent her gaining a foothold in the city, although as ever these probably aren’t their sole motives, It as also been noted that certain members of Crimson Jihad (sic) may have issues with the group operating in the city, hence Castelans involvement. Finance, High Society, Media, Occult, Police Castelan’s investigations into the “Daughters of the Desert” have little to do with Crimson Jihad (sic), aside from one group funding the other. Although they are loathe admitting it, Castelan are still operating an anti-occult policy within the city and see the group as a possible threat to security. Why a group such as Castelan continue to have a problem with peoples beliefs remains unknown, although some now speculate that the reason may be that they themselves are attempting to operate large scale magicks of their own. Given that most of Castelan’s motives are driven by profit, this raises the question of whom exactly are they dealing with? Occult, Underworld The Haitian / Egyptian links to the “Daughters of the Desert” make sense. It had long been believed that the group was using voodoo as a means of instilling fear in the local populace (an aspect with which the group has excelled). Given the supposed authenticity with which the rituals were undertaken, those performing them would be required to have an intrinsic knowledge of the beliefs and customs of such a people from birth. Indeed, out of the city’s major players, it now seems that only the Sandernacht Group is not dabbling in the occult as a means of either inspiring terror or furthering its goals, although given the success that they’ve had in hiding themselves from police and public alike, it seems even they may not be above dabbling into the unknown. Bureaucracy, Legal, Media, Police What is the legal standing with regards to Castelan’s blockade to the north of the city? If the blockade was merely being used to prevent members of the gang attempting to move into the city then few would have any problems with it. However, Castelan seem to be using the blockade more as a means of controlling access for all to the city and as a data collection point. The political group Peer 19 have filed for an injunction on Castelan to prevent them from collating information which is potentially of more use to their parent company GAOM. However, Castelan have responded by noting that the matter is one of security and that under the charter given them by the city councillors they have a right to operate such a venture if it is in the best interest of protecting lives and property within the city. Church, Legal, Politics The Peer 19 / Castelan disputes continue, with the political group once again charging Castelan of mounting illegal operations within the city. Peer 19 have claimed that Castelan’s current operation is an infringement of people’s civil liberties and that it can also be used by the groups other businesses to further trade. Bureaucracy, Legal, Politics A private security bill that would strip Castelan of many of its powers is rumoured to be doing the rounds amongst the city’s lawyers. The bill is believed to have been devised by an independent commission that was created in order to review the role of private security companies within the nations defence and law enforcement agencies. The bill, if passed, would also affect the role of companies such as Group Four and the use of private transport companies as a means of conveying prisoners. However, Castelan seem to have gotten wind of the proposal ahead of its release to the public, forcing the commission to look for a law firm within the city with court experience relating to Castelan. Finance, Industry, Legal, Police Rumours abound that the private security bill currently doing the rounds may have actually originated at GAOM. If this is true, then the question is to what ends? Such a proposal would have a crippling affect upon the company, preventing it from undertaking any operations within the city without authorisation from an external police force. More likely, if this is true, is that Castelan are attempting to gauge public confidence in the company ahead of either an expansion problem, or diversification of roles within the city. Finance, High Society, Media, Politics Despite a high profile advertisement campaign, it seems that members of Crimson Jihad (sic) are still coming in for a lot of flak from local media. The group, which has been shown to be purely a charity organisation, is still experiencing hostilities from local people following a campaign to have the group banned was led by Sean Bowden. Bowden continues to be a controversial figure in local politics, speaking out against a number of “purely profit driven” organisations and companies. Still no confirmation has been forthcoming as to whether Bowden intends to run for local office, although he only has four more weeks to lodge his entry with the proper authorities. Given the veracity and commitment that he’s throwing into his new projects, the likelihood of a non political outcome to this debate seems unlikely. High Society, Media, Politics With the run up to local elections on full swing, the question remains of how many candidates will be running? Whilst the usual parties all have candidates already in place, the question is who will stand as an independent candidate in the area? All eyes are once again on Sean Bowden to stand, although on what platform remains to be seen. The health of the former councillor cannot be discounted either, as the last time he stood held office in the city he had to retire due to stress related ill health. Other candidates may also emerge, although the most unlikely is Andrew Sant of GAOM. Sant is apparently unhappy with the nature of the elections after independent inspectors prevented Castelan from providing security for the polling booths in case the company has an undue effect upon the manner in which people choose to vote. Bureaucracy, Finance, Industry, Transport The six towers at the heart of the Phoenix Project had to be closed temporarily when it emerged that aspects of the structure were sub-standard and risked collapse. The faults were discovered as work progressed on the monorail stations that will link the towers. All buildings within the city centre were evacuated as emergency contractors were sent in to deal with the problem. In addition, GAOM provided free temporary housing to the hundreds of individuals who were affected by the closure. After eighteen days of inspection the buildings were finally deemed safe for use, but not before millions of pounds in claims were laid at the doors of the original designers. Industry, Occult, Street How did GAOM respond so fast to the problems with the Phoenix Project? Cynics have stated that the problems may have emerged when Castelan were prevented from using the towers as communication and surveillance points in the city. Many are writing this off as just another conspiracy theory, but when investigated further the facts fail to add up fully. Why were faults only discovered now, given that the project has been under close scrutiny since its inception? How come GAOM had the right type of technical expertise in the city to deal with the problem when they are currently undertaking no projects here? And why were they so willing to provide free housing at their own cost whilst inspections were undertaken? No matter what the answers, it remains another strange occurrence in the role of GAOM in the city. Police, Transport, Underworld Customs & Excise Officers operating on the city’s border intercepted fifty kilos of C4 explosive. The operation, which was undertaken without the co-operation of Castelan, was as a result of months of intelligence work into G8 Suppress. Investigations have focussed on the gathering of munitions by the group, following the arrest and subsequent detention of its leader Steven Thomas. Speculation is rife as to what such a large quantity of explosives was intended to be used for, but with the media focus on the forthcoming elections, security around all candidates has been increased. Bureaucracy, Police, Transport Plans are being put together for the transportation of Steven Thomas for his trial in the High Court in London. The operation is to be mounted by Castelan who are requesting the closure of large portions of the road they intend to use for the transportation. The moves come after a controversial closure of local roads a few months ago to facilitate the transportation of high ranking members of the company. Few details are being released in order to maintain the security of the operation, but given the likelihood that Thomas himself may now be a target for attack, it seems unlikely that any chances will be taken with the operation. Health, Politics, University Following the recent health scares in the city, the first month of the year saw a drop in the number of hospital attendances. Further investigation of the statistics indicates that the largest drop was in the admission of transients who are attempting to foil the system. Given the thorny nature of social aid at the moment, and the continuing discussions surrounding the subject of asylum seekers being distributed through the country, are such groups feeling less able to approach the state for aid? Why has this part of the demographic been so affected? No one knows the answer for sure, but the figures are sure to be monitored over the coming months. Bureaucracy, Church, Health, Politics, Street The number of homeless on the city’s streets has dropped by thirty percent over the last few months. The data has been compiled by Shelter, who regularly surveys the streets to ascertain numbers. However given the tricky nature by which the numbers are calculated (only those that are actually sleeping can be counted) the drop is likely to be nearer to twenty percent. Still, this represents a significant drop in the number and cause for alarm amongst civil liberty groups who claim the fall can be attributed to Castelan policies regarding the reduction of street crime. Occult, Street The reduction in the number of homeless on the city’s streets is the result of something far more sinister than Castelan. Rumours of hooded figures stalking the city’s streets have begun to emerge. Little evidence of this currently exists. So far reports have been mainly limited to eye witness accounts, many of whom were under the influence of a cocktail of drink or drugs at the time. Local authorities refuse to be drawn on the matter, putting it down to imagination on the part of a bored public. Others however have been slower to comment, aware that many things are said to haunt the city and that many secrets have yet to be uncovered. Church Church attendances once again rose over the Festive period, with numbers continuing to rise ever since. The most common reason given is the need to have a sense of belonging at least somewhere in the city, rather than the need for spiritual comfort. Many religious communities are pleased with the trend anyway, hoping that the rise will continue through much of 2003, although figures from past years have shown that this usually isn’t the case.